3 skiers die in avalanche in the French Pyrenees

PARIS – Authorities say three skiers have died after being swept away by an avalanche in the French Pyrenees.

The prefecture in the southern Hautes-Pyrenees region said the bodies of the three men were found Thursday, a day after an avalanche struck on an off-piste sector at the Cauterets ski resort, close to the Spanish border.

Rescuers, assisted by a helicopter and several dog teams, began their search late Wednesday afternoon shortly after the three men were reported missing.

The skiers, a 29-year-old and two 38-year-olds, were tourists from the French cities of Bordeaux and Poitiers.

Relatives of the victims traveled to Cauterets and were taken care of by an emergency team that helps bereaved families.

On Tuesday, a 19-year-old skier died in an avalanche at the nearby ski resort of Gavarnie-Gedre.